Larissa Sanchez

I am an adults and children’s counsellor, a clinical assessor, and member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). I work on an individual basis with adults and children between the ages of 5 and 17 of diverse cultural backgrounds, gender, sexual orientation, differing physical and mental abilities and neurodiverse.

I provide therapy in English and therapy in Spanish, the latter for those who prefer to speak in their own language.

Having a culturally varied background and having worked extensively with a diverse range of clients, I relate to the challenges that diversity can bring, struggles to fit in, feeling outside the norm and feelings of not belonging can be common. They can take our focus away from us and set us back from what we aim to achieve in life.

---

Adults & Childrens Counselling with Larissa Sanchez (MBACP)

My Approach:

I follow a client-centred humanistic therapeutic approach; that is, at the core of my work is the belief that we all have our own resources and strive to actualise our own potential; and that my role as a counsellor is to provide a place of safety and support that promotes self-exploration: a confidential and non-judgemental space where clients can start, sometimes for the first time, to express and work through their difficulties.

As the process of counselling unfolds, resources that perhaps we did not think we had, can become available, new alternatives and choices can come into view, and a renewed sense of balance and wellness can become possible.

For parents

As parents, it can be heart breaking to see our children struggle. Recognising that this is happening and reaching out for help is perhaps the most valuable step towards addressing it. Young children do not have the maturation and verbal proficiency that adults have, to make sense and use language to communicate what is going on inside themselves, and sometimes a change in behaviour, a change of attitudes towards school, friends, family, or life in general, is how children communicate their upsets.

I work with different media; arts, crafts, sand tray, drama techniques, storytelling principles and play based therapy to support self-expression and self-exploration in children, to build the therapeutic relationship and facilitate the process of change.

For teenagers and young adults

Adolescence and young adulthood are periods characterised by change and transitions. They can be exciting times, as the sense of agency that young people gain as they grow, opens up a wide range of opportunities and potential to pursue one’s goals. For the same reason, it can be a period of turmoil where all the different opportunities, responsibilities and changes that happen may feel too much at any one time. There are also academic, professional, societal and cultural expectations that can come into play and affect young people’s choices. Relationships with friends and family can shift and that can be confusing too. Counselling can offer a space to pause, a place of reflexion, to gain an understanding of what is happening to us, allow to set priorities and find a sense of direction and balance.

What I offer:

I offer individual short-, medium- and long-term therapy that normally takes place once a week at an agreed time and day and lasts 50 minutes.

We can have face to face or remote sessions, via an online platform or telephone.

When you first get in touch, we set up an initial session where we discuss your reasons to approach therapy. It is after this session that we can decide whether to work together or not. We then arrange weekly sessions at an agreed time and day.

Sometimes it is more comfortable to speak in your mother tongue so I offer therapy in Spanish as well as English.

For parents and educators:

I offer individual or group consultations to parents and educators on how to support and promote children and adolescents’ mental health and wellbeing.

---

Areas I work with:

I work therapeutically in English and Spanish with children and adults of different ages, cultural backgrounds, gender and sexual orientations. The kind of issues I can help with are:

• Anxiety
• Bereavement and Loss
• Depression
• OCD
• ADHD
• Cultural identity
• Issues about diversity
• Issues about self-image
• Childhood trauma
• Traumatic events
• Stress at home, at work or at school
• Family struggles
• Struggles with relationships
• Self-harm
• Suicidal ideation
• Sexuality and sexual identity
• Sexual abuse

---

Training & Qualifications / Experience:

I am a child and adult counsellor registered with the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP).

I hold a Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling Children at School by the University of East London; and a BA (Hons) in adult person-centred counselling from Metanoia Institute. I also hold postgraduate studies in Mental Health and Adolescence Development from the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation.

I work as a trauma informed therapist with survivors of childhood sexual abused and as a bereavement counsellor in an NHS IAPT service. I work with drama and technical theatre students at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. As a child counsellor, I have worked clinically in primary and secondary schools, worked with teaching staff, parents and other professionals to support the children’s mental health and wellbeing.

I hold a full DBS clearance; all my work is supervised by a member of a counselling and psychotherapy professional body.

About me:

I am originally from Latin America, with a multicultural family living in London for 25 years. My first career was as a civil engineer and for a number of years I worked as a programme manager in the Telecoms industry. I am a mother of a teenage daughter. I have practiced meditation for three decades and been in therapy myself for many years. This positive and life changing experience inspired me when I decided to change my career to counselling.

---

Contact:

If you would like to find out more, please get in touch:
07395 352 591
info@larissasanchezcounselling.co.uk
larissasanchezcounselling.co.uk

Rates:

I charge £80 for an initial assessment and subsequent sessions. A limited number of concessionary fees are available, so please enquire.